Strike the Blood(ストライク・ザ・ブラッド,Sutoraiku za Buraddo), also known in short form as SutoBura(ストブラ), is a Japanese light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo with illustrations by Manyako. A manga adaptation began serialization in June 2012 in ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Daioh. A 24-episode television anime adaptation by Silver Link and Connect aired between October 4, 2013 and March 28, 2014 in Japan.
The story follows the adventures of Kojou Akatsuki, a vampire in high school who is a bit reluctant to show his powers, and Yukina Himeragi, a teenage Sword Shaman apprentice who is sent to observe him. It takes place in the Demon District in Itogami City, a man-made island off the coast of Japan that has a freely mingling monster populace. Kojou is suspected of being the Fourth Progenitor, a powerful vampire that could potentially disrupt the balance of power among the ruling three Progenitors. Kojou and Yukina befriend various monster students, some of whom are attracted to Kojou, and whose situations drive his libido that provides the source of much of his power.
Main characters
Kojou Akatsuki (暁 古城,Akatsuki Kojō)
Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya, Mutsumi Tamura (young)Kojou was a normal 16-year-old high school student 3 months prior to the beginning of the story, until becoming the 4th progenitor after his predecessor, Avrora Florestina inserted her spirit into his body as the result of a wish. He claims to remember nothing of the incident. When aroused, his blood lust takes over and the only way to satisfy it is to drink his own blood, usually from the nosebleeds he experiences. As a vampire, Kojou possesses superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and durability, but has far greater power than that of a normal vampire due to his status as a progenitor. He has also inherited Avrora's twelve familiars. Due to never having drank human blood, Kojou at first has no control over his powerful familiars, but after drinking an individual's blood, one familiar will acknowledge him as its master. By drinking the blood of others who have familiars, he is able to gain control over their familiar. He often blurts things out without thinking of how Yukina feels and annoys Yukina in a way unintentionally. By volume 9, he is able to control 6 of the familiars. Kojou is also lacking the 6th, 10th and 12th familiars, the 12th being in Nagisa and the 6th and 10th still have their human bodies. In Strike the Blood EX, he has Two daughters (in the future); Reina from Yukina and Moegi from Asagi.
Yukina Himeragi (姫柊 雪菜,Himeragi Yukina)
Voiced by: Risa TanedaA 14-year-old middle-school Sword Shaman from the Lion-King organization, Yukina was sent to observe the 4th progenitor and was told to kill him if he becomes a threat. At first, Kojou tries to trick her into thinking he's the wrong person, but his strength is revealed when he intervenes in a fight between her and another vampire. She is constantly following him everywhere he goes and as a result has become very close to him, even allowing him to suck her blood in order for him to gain control over his familiars. Unknown to her, she was actually sent for this very purpose; with the organization intending for her to be his first blood partner, and even his mate. Like many others, she was supposedly sold to the Lion-King organization by her parents. Yukina is afraid of flying as shown in episode 10 with Kojou noting that Nagisa also has the same fear. Yukina often get irritated by Kojou when he somehow mention something like being with her sucks that makes Yukina upset without noticing her feelings for him. For instance in episode 10 when they were trapped on an island, he mentioned that staying there with Yukina for the rest of their lives would suck a lot angering Yukina as he just blurted out things without thinking of her feelings. Yukina is shown by the end of the first arc to have developed feelings for Kojou. She offered her blood many times to Kojou, even to resurrect him when he was pierced by Kanon as was shown in episode 12. She does not hesitate at all when it comes to Kojou showing multiple times that she does love him a lot. In episode 19 she even told him to stay by her side forever as she is always worried when Kujou is up to something stupid and risk his own life for others. In Strike the Blood EX, she is presumed to be married with Kojou and they have a daughter named Reina.
Sayaka Kirasaka (煌坂 紗矢華,Kirasaka Sayaka)
Voiced by: Ikumi HayamaA 16-year-old War Dancer (specializing in hexes and assassinations) from the Lion-King and Yukina's former roommate. She is highly over-protective towards Yukina and dislikes all men - Yukina tells Kojou that she used to screen her calls because she couldn't stand having a male voice talk to her. At first, she despises Kojou for being close to Yukina, but after she offers her blood to him (to awaken his second familiar) Sayaka begins to develop feelings for him. Like Yukina, Lion-King actually arranged the meeting between Sayaka and Kojou, intending for her to become his blood partner as well.
Asagi Aiba (藍羽 浅葱,Aiba Asagi)
Voiced by: Asami SetoAsagi is Kojou's friend and classmate. She's 16 years old. She is an expert programmer and works for the Manmade Island Management Corporation. She has a crush on Kojou and she kissed him in the end of Episode 8. Despite knowing that the island is deeply connected to supernatural personalities and creatures, she had no idea that her friends are among them until Kojou and Yukina finally revealed their true identities to her in Volume 7. She is nicknamed Cyber Empress and her true identity is the Priestess of Cain. She is presumed to be married with Kojou and they have a daughter named Moegi.
Natsuki Minamiya (南宮 那月,Minamiya Natsuki)
Voiced by: Hisako KanemotoNatsuki is Kojō's English teacher and an attack mage. Despite claiming to be 26 years old, she has the appearance of a grade school girl. She is usually seen wearing a gothic lolita dress. She is one of the few people who knows that Kojou is the 4th progenitor. She is a high ranking mage and is called "The Witch of the Void". It is later revealed that she is actually the guard of the magical prison barrier that houses the most dangerous supernatural criminals; her actual body is sealed deep within the prison, while the teacher and mage everyone interacts with is actually an illusion. Kojou, Aiba, and Yaze usually call her "Natsuki-chan" despite her repeated demands to address her as "sensei."
Motoki Yaze (矢瀬 基樹,Yaze Motoki)
Voiced by: Ryōta ŌsakaKojou and Asagi's classmate. He's 16 years old. Motoki is also a member of the Lion-King organization and the real observer of Kojou, the 4th progenitor. He is also Asagi's childhood friend and therefore often encourages her pursuit of Kojou. He's currently going after Koyomi Shizuka and has told Kojou and Asagi that she's his girlfriend, despite having not held her hand according to Natsuki. He is an Esper who has the ability to manipulate special sound waves, but needs certain drugs or enhancers to strengthen his ability.
Nagisa Akatsuki (暁 凪沙,Akatsuki Nagisa)
Voiced by: Rina HidakaNagisa is Kojou's 14-year-old sister. She is usually chatty with people she likes, including Yukina, who happens to be her classmate. She is the only main character who knows nothing about the supernatural incidents as the others conceal such information in order to protect her. Four years ago, she almost died after being caught up in an attack by demons, with the result Having left her traumatized whenever she sees one. She is afraid of flying as noted by Kojou in episode 10.
Saikai Academy
Kanon Kanase (叶瀬 夏音,Kanase Kanon)
Voiced by: Kanae ItōA shy white-haired 15-year-old middle-school girl who is Nagisa's friend. She is the illegitimate daughter of the king of Aldegyr and was raised away from the royal court. Kanon is La Folia's biological aunt, explaining the similarity in their appearance. After he was dismissed from his position as court mage of Aldegyr, Kensei Kanase, her maternal uncle, adopted Kanon with the intention of using her in his Angel Faux experiment.
Rin Tsukishima (築島 倫,Tsukishima Rin)
Voiced by: Rei MochizukiKojou's classmate and Asagi's friend. She's 16 years old.
Misaki Sasasaki (笹崎 岬,Sasasaki Misaki)
Voiced by: Ai KayanoNagisa's homeroom teacher.
Lion King Organization
Koyomi Shizuka (閑 古詠,Shizuka Koyomi) / Paper Noise (静寂破り（ペーパーノイズ）,Pēpānoizu)
Voiced by: Kana UedaThe 3rd leader of the organization who ordered Yukina's mission. She appears as a senior school student who wears glasses.
The Warlord's Empire
Dimitrie Vatler (ディミトリエ・ヴァトラー,Dimitorie Vuatorā)
Voiced by: Yūki OnoAlso known as "Lord Ardeal", he is a pure-blood vampire who is a direct descendant of the First Progenitor. He is in love with the previous Fourth Progenitor, Avrora and becomes interested in Kojou after her death. He becomes the Ambassador in the Embassy of the Warlord's Dominion after the Nalakuvera incident.
Voiced by: Kaori IshiharaThe previous Fourth Progenitor, a young girl who passed her title to Kojou after her death. She had another entity sealed in her who gained control of her body and would use her power for its own nefarious goals. During the ensuing fight, Akatsuki gained the temporary allegiance of several of the twelve kenjuus through bribes and upstanding display of character deemed worthy by the noble beasts. With their powers at his command and the Fourth herself fighting her mind war of dominance, they were able to prevail but the evil could not be destroyed as long as it dwells in the Fourth 's body. At this point, Akatsuki assumes incorrectly that the Fourth plans to seal herself away once again to sleep away the eternity, forever entombing herself and the evil she carries within. At this point, he offers to sleep by her side so she would never be alone in her timeless sleep. However, the Fourth used her blood compulsion to command her servant to end her life and destroy the evil in her. Thus Akatsuki was forced to destroy her heart while powerless to disobey her orders and was granted her powers as she died and his memories were altered as well by the Fourth so he does not have to suffer the pain of killing her. A portion of her soul is inside of Nagisa.
Rudolf Eustach (ルードルフ・オイスタッハ,Rūdorufu Oisutahha)
Voiced by: Kenta MiyakeA combat deacon of Lotharingia who comes to Itogami City to retrieve the right arm of a saint from the West European Church. He initially controls Astarte until his defeat at the hands of Kojou and Yukina.
Astarte (アスタルテ,Asutarute)
Voiced by: Yuka IguchiA homunculus that controls a Familiar. She currently serves Natsuki as a maid. She expresses little emotion and has no particular likes or dislikes. She is not talkative and always says "Accept" in a dull, robotic tone whenever her master commands her.
Christoph Gardos (クリストフ・ガルドシュ,Kurisutofu Garudoshu)
Voiced by: Eizō TsudaThe leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction and a former soldier of the Warlord's Dominion.
Mogwai (モグワイ,Moguwai)
Voiced by: Shinji KawadaAsagi's virtual partner who assists in her hacking missions.
La Folia Rihavein (ラ・フォリア・リハヴァイン,Ra Foria Rihavuain)
Voiced by: Saori ŌnishiThe princess of Aldegyr. She is a very beautiful silver-haired girl who is being pursued by Magnus Craft who want the blood of the Aldegyr royal family for their operations. Folia is shown to be attracted to Kujou and even offered her blood to Kojou to activate his third familiar which required two blood sources to save Kanon thus becoming his third blood partner. She kissed Kojou at the end of episode 12 as a farewell making the others shocked and filled with jealousy.
Kensei Kanase (叶瀬 賢生,Kanase Kensei)
Voiced by: Yutaka AoyamaThe leader of Magnus Craft. He is Kanon's adopted father whose younger sister is also Kanon's biological mother (making him her uncle). He was a former royal court mage at the palace of Aldegyr. He had plans to make Kanon into a weapon to defeat the Fourth Progenitor. After the Angel Faux incident, he was held at the Island Management Corporation for observation.
Beatrice Basler (ベアトリス・バスラー,Beatorisu Basurā)
Voiced by: Satomi AraiAn employee of Magnus Craft. She wields a spear containing the Familiar "Jabra".
Lowe Kirishima (ロウ・キリシマ,Rou Kirishima)
Voiced by: Yūki HayashiAn employee of Magnus Craft. He can morph into a beast.
Yuuma Tokoyogi (仙都木 優麻,Tokoyogi Yūma)
Voiced by: Yumi UchiyamaKojou's childhood friend who used to play basketball with him. She is Aya's daughter and is known as the "Blue Witch".
Aya Tokoyogi (仙都木 阿夜,Tokoyogi Aya)
Voiced by: Mikako TakahashiYuuma's mother and the Witch of Notaria. She is imprisoned within Itogami Demon District's prison barrier. She created a clone of herself in Yuuma and programmed her as a key to free her.
Mimori Akatsuki (暁 深森,Akatsuki Mimori)
Voiced by: Sanae KobayashiKojou's mother. She is the head researcher of MAR's medical department and a magic physician.
Kou Amatsuka (天塚 汞,Amatsuka Kō)
Voiced by: Yūki KajiA homunculus alchemist who is Nina Adelard's apprentice. He wishes to become human by reviving Wiseman to restore his body.
Nina Adelard (ニーナ・アデラード,Nīna Aderādo)
Voiced by: Mai NakaharaAn alchemist with a voluptuous figure who is Kou's master.
Reina Akatsuki (暁 零菜,Akatsuki Reina)
Voiced by: Kana AsumiThe daughter of Yukina and Kojou in Strike the Blood EX. She is identical in appearance as her mother (in youth), except with a bigger bust and wields a golden lance as her familiar. She also inherited her father's abilities as a vampire and the tendency to get nosebleeds when she gets excited. She has the same eyes as her father. She is also a half sister of Moegi. She has the tendency of a natural ditz when first introduced in the series such as walking into a door thinking it was automated. Like her father she tends to address Natsuki as "Natsuki-chan".
Moegi Akatsuki (暁 萌葱,Akatsuki Moegi)
Voiced by: Minami TsudaThe daughter of Asagi and Kojou in Strike the Blood EX. She bears a similar resemblance to her mother.
Yume Eguchi (江口結眼,Eguchi Yume)
Voiced by: Nao Toyama
Kiriha Kisaki (妃崎霧葉,Kisaki Kiriha)
Voiced by: Yukiyo Fujii
Light novel
Strike the Blood began as a light novel series written by Gakuto Mikumo and illustrated by Manyako. ASCII Media Works has published 16 volumes as of December 10, 2016.
Manga
The manga began serialization in June 2012 in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine. The first tankōbon volume was released on December 15, 2012. Eight volumes have been released as of April 24, 2015.
Anime
A 24-episode anime adaptation produced by Silver Link and Connect began airing on October 4, 2013 on AT-X. The series is directed by Hideyo Yamamoto with scripts by Hiroyuki Yoshino and character design by Keiichi Sano. The first opening theme song is "Strike the Blood" (ストライク・ザ・ブラッド) by Kisida Kyoudan & The Akebosi Rockets, and the first ending theme song is "Strike my soul" by Yuka Iguchi. The second opening theme is "Fight 4 Real" by Altima and the second ending theme is "Signal" by Kanon Wakeshima. On February 3, 2015, Discotek Media announced that they have licensed the anime and will be released subtitled-only on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in 2015. A new 4 volume 8 episode OVA series based on the 9th light novel has been announced, with the first volume being released on November 21, 2016.
Reception
All the three volumes of the anime series' release on DVD charted among the weekly best-selling Japan's animation DVD ranking, with each compilation selling over 1,000 copies. The Blu-ray discs were also among the best-selling of a week, and have sold over 4,000 copies per volume.
The series received average reviews from anime critics. Rebecca Martin of Anime News Network gave it 2.5 of 5 stars, remarking that the scenes where Kojo and Yukina explain things to each other is an uninteresting delivery, but that the series had promise. Carl Kimlinger found it enjoyable in its own mediocre way, with terribly standard story ideas, "yet somehow it hits just enough of the right notes that it's never quite the moldy waste of life that it should be." Theron Martin likened the event progression and action scenes to A Certain Magical Index, including events taking place in a city and a "secret program which forces super-powered youths into deadly battles". He found the character designs to be highly appealing, and the fan service to be existent but not the emphasis, however, he noted a drop in artistic quality in the last few episodes. Chris Beveridge of The Fandom Post liked that the first episode focuses on the main two characters, but some of the later episodes in the series had little impact, with important material only showing up in the final minute, leaving himself wondering what it's all about. Dan Rhodes of UK Anime found the first episodes to be "a bit by the numbers". The voice acting was competent, although some of the supporting characters were questionable. He found the series well-animated, but not groundbreaking. Karen Mead of Japanator did not see much vampire focus in the first episode; she likened the series to "a poor man's Fate/Stay Night". She thought Yukina's panty obsession was boring, and plans to drop the series if that becomes a recurring gimmick. Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku liked the story's setting of how easy the world can go out of control, but disliked the harem anime clichés beyond the first story arc, and the one-dimensional, obviously outclassed villains that were expected to be more of a threat for an action anime.
